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EOU Volleyball

Volleyball Iain Dexter, EOU Sports Information Director

No. 7 EOU Volleyball Opens NAIA Pool Play Tuesday

LA GRANDE, Ore. – For the sixth year in a row, the No. 7 Eastern Oregon volleyball team will play in Sioux City, Iowa in the NAIA Championships, advancing past the opening round and into pool play.
 
The Mountaineers begin the tournament on Tuesday morning as the top-seed in Pool G. The No. 7-ranked Mounties will play, in order, Madonna University, No. 24 Reinhardt University and No. 10 Lindsey Wilson University.
 
EOU reached the NAIA Championships for a sixth year in a row by virtue of earning the CCC's second automatic qualifier with a runner-up finish in the conference tournament to Southern Oregon. Regardless, the Mounties would have highly likely reached the national tournament with an at-large berth due to their 29-3 record and high number of top-25 wins this season.
 
Vs. Madonna (Receiving Votes) - Tuesday at 9 a.m. Central Time
 
The Mounties will face the Crusaders out of Michigan for the first time in program history on Tuesday. Madonna is making its 18th appearance at the national tournament, finishing with a 25-12. Like EOU, Madonna earned the WHAC's second auto bid to nationals by finishing runners-up to the conference's regular season champions at the WHAC tournament.
 
The Crusaders were forced into playing a opening round matchup as they finished unranked in the final NAIA Top-25 poll with 12 votes. MU defeated Indiana University at South Bend in a wild five-set battle at home to reach the final site.
 
Vs. No. 24 Reinhardt – Wednesday at 10 a.m. Central Time
 
Like Madonna, EOU has never faced Reinhardt. The No. 24-ranked squad, the Eagles enter the tournament with one of the fewest lost totals in the NAIA with a sparkling 33-2 record.
 
Reinhardt went 21-0 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, sweeping through the conference tournament. The Eagles were also forced into an opening round matchup, sweeping Florida Memorial handily at home. Reinhardt enters the final site on a 27-match winning streak.
 
Vs. No. 10 Lindsey Wilson – Thursday at 12 p.m. Central Time
 
The only team the Mountaineers will be familiar with will likely be their toughest test, facing perennial powerhouse Lindsey Wilson in the final round of pool play that could have major impacts on the seeding for the top-16.
 
The Blue Raiders enter the final site with a 29-5 record, winning both the Mid-South Conference regular season and tournament titles. Lindsey Wilson won the national title in 2017, eliminating EOU in the round of 16 after pool play. The Blue Raiders are 3-0 against EOU, with wins in pool play last year in 2018, the round of 16 win in 2017 and another pool play victory in 2015.
 
The top-2 teams from pool play will advance into the top-16 single-elimination bracket, with play beginning on Friday.
 
All EOU tournament games will be live streamed in the EOU booster room in Quinn Coliseum.
 
For more information on Eastern Oregon volleyball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
 
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu
 
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